Fe University guided auto tour of the Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area

When:
August 6, 2018 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
2018-08-06T09:00:00-05:00
2018-08-06T12:00:00-05:00
Contact:
Wendy Thiede
715-476-2881

The Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area Auto Tour is a self-guiding tour illustrating the interactions of humans with native flora and fauna. This tour provides a glimpse of the spectacular resources of the area and the management programs that will insure their future. Fe University presents a guided auto tour of the Flambeau Flowage in 3 sessions Monday, Aug. 6, Thursday, Aug. 9, and Monday, Aug. 13 from 9:00 AM to noon. Veteran science teacher, Diane O’Krongly will lead the tour and provide information at each stop.

In this course, Turtle-flambeau Scenic Waters Guided Auto Tour, Part I, students will gain an understanding of the area by tracing part of the route of the auto tour guide book. Topics to be covered include the history of the flowage, fauna and flora present, its watershed, the geology, wetlands emphasizing deep water bogs, and how some tree and game species are managed within the tour area. A continuation of this class will be offered in 2019.

The first session, Aug 6, will be held in the Mercer Library conference room, 2648W Margaret St., where students will learn the history of the Flowage and get an overview of the topics to be covered. The second and third sessions will be on the road with stops at various locations. Students should be able to walk through a variety of terrain up to 2 miles on maintained trails and may experience a variety of weather conditions. Some readings may be provided by the instructor. Carpooling will be required for sessions 2 and 3.

Instructor Diane O’Krongly has a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Wisconsin with a major in science education. She has taught various sciences at the high school and middle school level for 28 years. She has lived on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage since 1997 and has been on the board of the Turtle Flambeau-Trude Lake Property Owners Association for over ten years. For many years she has been involved with water quality testing and organizing volunteers to do invasive species surveys for the Flowage and Trude Lake. Other Citizen Science involvement includes: Snapshot Wisconsin (trail camera), bat monitoring, loon studies, aquatic plant surveys, identification and removal of terrestrial invasive species, and river water quality testing.

Fe University is a non-accredited “college” for seniors founded in 2014, based in Iron County. Classes are targeted for people over 50, but anyone is welcome. For more detailed information about this class and Fe University, visit www.feuniversity.org or call 715-476-2881 or 715-561-3098.

The fee for the Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Guided Auto Tour, Part I, is $35 with a $5 early bird discount if registrations are received before July 23rd. Scholarships are available. Registration forms may be picked up at the Mercer Library and the UW Extension office in the Iron County courthouse in Hurley or downloaded from the website. Completed forms may be dropped off at the same locations or mailed to Fe University, PO Box 63, Hurley, WI 54534. Registrations must be received to hold a spot in the class as space is limited.